Shrinkythinks

Like SpaceDust said I would definitely get in touch with the doctor in the morning, if you're getting too dehydrated you might have to go to the hospital for some iv fluids and anti-nausea medication to help you keep fluids down when you leave. I had a few bouts of nausea after surgery and a full blown stomach bug and my two favorite things for those times were a dose of dramamine (or the patch, both work great) and sipping on some room temp gatoraide. Water always makes me more nauseated when I'm feeling sick and the gatoraide seems to settle the stomach a bit. My doc ok'd the dramamine but if your doc has an after hours nurse you might want to check it just to make sure. Peppermint tea is also a good stomach soother if you have any of that in the house. Hope you can find some relief soon Sending lots of good stomach soothing thoughts your way!

I would at the least add in a good multi vitamin and take that in the mornings. With the small amounts we eat it can be hard to make sure we're getting in all the proper nutrients we need. I'm using the centrum gummies since multi vitamins can get a bit large and hard to swallow so I stick to the chewables.

I had blood pressure issues before surgery. After surgery and 30 pounds down and it was finally in a good range. I took nyquil and about 10 minutes later I had a blood pressure spike. My pressure jumped up but my heart rate dropped. Turns out after surgery I'm allergic to the decongestant in nyquil. Never thought about it since before surgery I never had a problem. If you do take the nyquil (and my doctor approved it for me) just keep an eye on how you're feeling. I've discovered that since surgery meds hit me differently so when I take something now I keep an eye out for new reactions. Just putting it out there for those taking meds again for the first time. It's something I never thought of. Hope you're feeling better soon!

I had surgery with Dr. Garcia on Feb 19th and the coordinators were there with me from the minute I got to the hotel and were there every step of the way. I went through ready 4achange and Rosie and Melissa were always in reach and just a few minutes away if I needed them. The morning of surgery we went to the hospital at 10am and started filling out paperwork, they were so ready for me that before we'd even finished the nurse came down to draw my blood work so it could be sent off to be analyzed. My husband finished paperwork while I sat with the nurse to have my blood drawn. We were moved to our room and within 2 hours were in to surgery. I never saw anyone before surgery in the OR room. After the leak test I never had green urine but it does make sense that it could happen. It's like drinking too much blue koolaid aid lol When we got back to the hotel we had a nights rest and the next morning saw Dr. Luna and Rosie again. They answered any questions and checked my incisions. I didn't go shopping, I was there to have surgery and rest/recover so hadn't planned on shopping so can't say anything about that. On the departure day Samuel was delayed but that was due to a very large Mary Kay convention at the hotel so things were a bit crazy. I know everyone's experience will be different but mine was pretty smooth sailing. I just wanted to post to help set some people's minds at ease that of course things can go wrong in any hospital anywhere in the world but things can also go right.

Thank you for posting! So glad things have been going well and you've reached your goal! I'm only a little bit out from surgery and knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel is a great thing. I'm struggling to make sure I get all my liquid and can't seem to get enough Protein in this full liquid stage lol can't wait to progress to the others. I can definitely agree Fletcherette! Maybe soon I won't have to freeze my poor guy out of the room each night just to get a comfortable night's sleep lol

It was enoxaparin (more commonly known here as lovenox) Hope it's ok to post links, just wanted you to be able to easily find some info on it: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR600617

I think the fact that we are over weight (can be hard to feel for a good place to stick) and combine that with being dehydrated a bit due to not being able to drink fluids before surgery leads to the difficulty with drawing blood and placing iv's. So thankful they can do it while under for those of us that have shy veins! lol

Dr. Garcia does give compression stockings but not the SCD's. They do try to get you up and walking asap and I was also given a shot in my stomach each day to prevent clots. I had high bloodpressure problems so was not able to be up walking as much so I had the shots, walked when I could and when laying down made sure to keep my legs moving.

So glad you are doing ok! Welcome to the other side! The phone in our room at the Mariott was weird, lines kept getting crossed and we had it ring quite a bit but no one was there. They had someone up to fix it in a hurry so just let them know and hopefully they can straighten it out quick for you.

I would recommend pj's or sweats, 2 piece because they often come in to check your incisions and drain and it's much nicer to just pull up your shirt then having to hike your nightshirt up all the way. For me I wore the hospital gowns in the hospital but pulled on an oversized pair of sweatpants when I wanted to walk the halls. Didn't want to worry about the booty hanging out lol I just pushed the front down under my belly so it didn't rub on anything. They also had big pockets which were great for putting the drain in when walking. Whatever you bring I definitely recommend pockets for that reason. Since I had another 2 nights in the hotel after leaving the hospital I just lived in a comfy t-shirt and those big sweatpants. I had a hard time finding a good pair in the womens section so I just hit the mens section and found a great drawstring pair plenty big enough to give me comfort room while the belly was healing. I packed that set of clothes and something nice to wear just in case we wanted to go anywhere or go down and eat in the hotel.

You guys are in my prayers! Won't say good luck because once you get there you will be in great hands safe travels and can't wait to hear some updates!

I'm feeling exactly the same triciavr77! I want to get all my things lined up and ready. My husband keeps telling me to just relax it'll all be fine and I'm trying to get my paperwork and items in order well ahead of time so I CAN relax. Stress, spazz, stress some more lol This has been years of wait to get to this point I just want things to go smoothly. It feels almost like "nesting" when you're pregnant, have to have everything ready for the baby's arrival lol I guess I can just say that I'm bringing a new life home from the hospital. A whole new me. This is the year, we're busting out of this crowded fishbowl and living again! I wish you all the best of luck on your journey

There are alot of costs to the surgery and sometimes it's hard to look at them all but then again I have to remind myself that if I don't do anything how much will healthcare cost me down the road. Thankfully there are ways to save a bit, like AmandaRae said consignment stores should save you a bit when you're dropping sizes. Splurge on one thing if you want to Celebrate a goal but save on the daily wardrobe until you get down to a steady size (or make your splurge item a new watch or earrings, etc to make the dollars go even farther since you won't grow out of those items.) There are lots of consignment stores and even clothing swaps that alot of local support groups do. Save on Vitamins by shopping around, coupons can definitely help here (some doctors try to get you to stick to their brand protien shakes, vitamins, etc but I'd rather compare ingredients to the doctors favorite brand and shop around) Don't be afraid to contact the manufacturers to try new products and find coupons to save. Also I just want to throw out there that for me I'm spending a bit on a medical alert bracelet for post-op. The dangers of a blind ng tube are too scary not too. In an emergency situation it's a good thing to have and would just put my mind at ease. Thanks for keeping our eyes open SoCalDixieGal

Same here, the tax delay kind of put a kink in the works Now I'm just kind of winging it and hoping returns come quickly so I can reschedule if needed.

Thank you for posting in such great detail! All those experiences really help put my mind at ease. Can't wait for the next update. Sending good thoughts your way, rest, recover and enjoy the whole new you

alma Orozco Alma@Ready4Achange.com 1-800-270-7120 ext. 3 1-877-270-7120 fax 1-210-745-1114 direct Hope that helps

I'm going through Ready4Achange and going to see Dr. Garcia in Feb. This message will be a bit long but I'm going to paste in the pre-op instructions that alma sent. I'm also going to add in some things I've found alot of users posting about just in case it helps. Most suggest bringing some gas-x strips to help with gas pain after surgery. Bring some chapstick for dry lips and biotene mouth spray for dry mouth for those times where you can't drink before and immediately after surgery. I've also seen some suggest that you bring neosporine and a few extra bandages for the hotel stay and to have for the flight or drive home. I've also seen some suggest that you bring a small bottle of dial antibacterial body wash for shower times to help prevent infection of the incision areas. lol think that's everything best of luck! Just think, your life will be different by the end of this year! --------------------------------------------------------------------- PRE-OP INSTRUCTIONS START THIS DIET 7-14 DAYS PRIOR TO SURGERY Use any prepared canned or powdered Protein Drink. You may purchase these in any health food store or many grocery stores. Please be sure it contains at least 15 grams of Protein per serving. 1 protein drink at Breakfast 1 protein drink at lunch Dinner: salad with Protein (chicken, fish, egg, etc), small amount of low fat dressing, or fat free dressing or olive oil and vinegar. 1 protein drink in the evening if needed You may also take 1 Metamucil capsule per day if needed for hunger. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Start this phase 3 days before surgery: Take a laxative (any laxative that you usually use). Take only Clear Liquids after that. This consists of broth, Jell-o, sugar-free juice, any clear liquid You may have nothing to eat or drink after the midnight preceding surgery or 8 hours prior to your surgery. If you are a Same Day Surgery arrive with an empty stomach. If you are coming in a day prior you may have dinner but nothing after midnight. You may take needed medications (such as heart or blood pressure medications) with sips of Water the morning of surgery as directed by our Doctors. Do not take any aspirin, Advil, Nuprin, Aleve or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for 7 days prior to surgery. These medications cause unnecessary bleeding after surgery. This includes baby aspirin and most arthritis medications. If you are not sure, please check with our Doctors.. For Headache or minor pains you may use Tylenol. You may restart these medications the next day after surgery. Do not take any herbal medications for 7 days prior to surgery. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Bring comfortable shoes and slippers to Mexico, you will be asked to walk several times per day. Please bring your medications in properly labeled pharmaceutical bottles for documentation of dosages. You will be on a liquid and soft food diet for two weeks after surgery. Stock up on sugar-free liquids: Crystal Light, sugar free fruit juices, apple sauce, yogurt, sugar-free pudding, sugar-free jell-o, thin Soups and caffeine-free teas. If you do not like the flavor of chicken broth, make chicken noodle Soup and strain out the solids. Avoid all carbonated beverages (fills the stomach with gas). Avoid sugar (extra calories that fight against weight loss). Caffeine makes you urinate more and can lead to dehydration. You will need to drink plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration after surgery. Sport drink bottles with measurements on the side will help ensure you are drinking enough liquid. You will need to drink at least two quarts (2,000cc) per day to prevent dehydration. You will not be able to gulp liquids so you will want to drink small amounts throughout the day.

Woot thanks for laying it out so easy for us to see who's going when! It's always nice to have a little support since some are traveling alone. <3 I'm just hoping the delayed tax returns don't push my surgery date out any farther. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for the heads up, had to look it up this morning since we usually have w2's by now. Looks like now we're waiting on tax returns as well, praying things don't have to get pushed back too far. Sending you good thoughts for a speedy return!

Thanks hazelsmrf will definitely check that out Socaldixiegal we'll be parking at the airport and waiting on transport from there as well, just easier since we won't be driving anywhere in Mexico. Thinking it would be safer as well. You guys have put my mind at ease, I know it will be a great trip. Now just have to wait for the big day and hope the new tax delay doesn't push my surgery date back.

Thanks Ivonneh, I don't think I'll have any problems translating but wanted to learn a bit, you know when in Rome and all that I've got a translator app on standby just in case. I do think it's funny that some people complain that the nurses don't all speak english, O.o seriously? I did have some travel questions, like will I need an adapter for my electronics but thanks to google it looks like they are the same as in the states. I knew europe was different but had never thought about outlets in Mexico. I'll need to look up taking food across the border, we're driving out to San Diego so we'll be packing a cooler for the road trip and was wondering if we'll need to pack just enough for the road trip or if hubby can take it across with some Snacks while I'm in the hospital.

Just remember that they work with overweight wonderful people everyday, it's their business and they've learned the best ways to deal with things like limited mobility, specific health needs like cpap for apnea, high bloodpressure, diabetes, etc. I had my own freak out this week, mine was regarding needing a wheelchair to get around long distances. I have a back injury that has kept me wheelchair bound for long distances but I can get up and walk in short bursts after surgery so that shouldn't be a problem. I was just worried about fitting a wheelchair in for the ride across the border, etc. I've seen posts where people have said the van was packed. So I freaked, what if I couldn't have my chair like I needed!? My husband calmly brought me back down to earth and reminded me that it's their job to make us comfortable on this journey. I spoke to my coordinator and feel much better. <3 between alma and all you lovely posters I think I can do this and I know you can Amanda! Sending lots of love and good thoughts your way for an easy journey.

Hope this is ok to post here, still new to the forums so not sure if this is the right place or not but wanted to share. My surgery isn't for awhile and instead of driving myself crazy thinking (:::cough::: I mean obsessing) about my trip I've decided to take the opportunity to learn more about the area, it's culture and history and start some Spanish lessons. I figure that by the time I get there I'll have a better appreciation and be able to enjoy all the sights and sounds better. So with my bag already packed and plans made for pre-op and after I went searching for some free Spanish lessons. I just wanted to share some in case anyone else might want to learn or brush up a bit before the big day. For anyone with an ipad check out the iTunesU course selection. There's a good Spanish I course from Arkansas that includes a full color textbook, and everything you need is included (quizzes, videos, audio and PDF's to print and save as reminders. I also came across another interesting looking course that BBC put together. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/mividaloca/full_details.shtml So for the next month and a half I'll be trying to learn a bit, not sure how much will stick but at least it will help pass the time. Does anyone have any language or travel tips to share for the big day?